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The 4 C's In Detail: Colour

Posted in Diamonds by La Vivion on 01st October, 2013
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It is often said that the best diamonds are clear, or colourless. However, there are an amazing variety of naturally occurring colours in diamonds that hold an incredible beauty.

Coloured natural gemstones get their hues from trace minerals and elements which come into play when the stones are slowly developing in the layers of the earth. Coloured diamonds very rarely occur naturally.

 

GIA Diamond Colour Range Grades

 

Diamonds have a special colour grade system that was introduced by the Gemology Institute of America, which uses the alphabetical letters from D to Z to indicate the shade of the stone. A D grade means that the gemstone is colourless, while Z represents a light yellow hue.

 

D, E, and F grades represent colourless diamonds.

G, H, and I grades represents diamonds that are almost colourless.

K-M colour grade diamonds have a faint yellow hue.

N-R grade stones have a very slight yellow tint, while S-Z grade diamonds are light yellow.

 

FamousFancy Coloured Diamonds

 

Even though the transparent variety of diamonds has gained popularity, they only represent one category of these amazing gemstones; there are also ‘fancy colour diamonds’. Quite rare, these diamonds have been found in every hue of the colour spectrum. If you are looking for a fancy coloured diamond, look out for colour intensity as it is one of the most important factors – the more vivid the colour, the greater the beauty of the diamond.

 

Here are some of the most famous diamonds and what causes their hues.

Blue - The most famous blue diamond is the Hope Diamond. Its hue is due to the element boron which affects the conductivity of the diamond.

Green – the green colour in a green diamond is caused by natural radiation in the earth. The most famous green diamond is the Dresden Green which weighs 41 carat.

Yellow – the element Nitrogen makes diamonds vividly yellow. One of the most famous yellow diamonds is the Allnatt diamond which weighs a hefty 101.29 carat.

Pink – pink hues are caused by crystal lattice defect in the process of the stone formation. The most famous pink stone is the Agra.

Red – one of the rarest hues in diamonds is red. The colour is also caused by a defect of a crystal lattice during the formation. The most famous gemstone is the Moussaieff Red which has a rich red hue. Another impressive example is the Hancock Red.

Black – the dark colour occurs due to small inclusions and carbon clusters in the stone. The most famous stone is the Black Star Of Africa which weighs 202 carat and is one of the largest coloured diamonds in the world.

 

Fancy coloured diamonds are great if you are looking for a gemstone that stands out from the crowd. If you would like to find out more about coloured diamonds, feel free to contact us by emailing enquiries@lavivion.com 

 

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